1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to garments to be worn for sanitary purposes. In general, such garments include underwear, bathing suits, athletic supporters and the like, intended for multiple uses. Primarily, however, the field of the present invention is items that are intended for single use and are, therefore, disposable such as incontinent pads, disposable diapers, and the like.
Such disposable products, for the sake of economy, often result in a compromise between performance characteristics such as fit, comfort, and leakage and ability to be made at a cost consistent with disposability. In general, these products often comprise a rectangular absorbent material sandwiched between a liquid impervious backing and a facing material to provide containment of the absorbent material and a skin contacting surface. Particularly with disposable diapers intended for use with infants and children, it has generally been necessary to make garments of different dimensions to accommodate growth through the toddler years. This has necessitated capital equipment expenditures and is a source of inconvenience to the consumer who must make a selection between the sizes available. In particular, the present invention is directed to improvements in fit, comfort, and performance of such products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Garments of the general type described are well-known. In particular, disposable diapers and incontinent garments are widely described in the patent literature and elsewhere. Among such publications are patents that relate to these classes of garments that are provided with various suspension or attaching means including those incorporating strips of elastic. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,796 to Jacob describes a disposable diaper having semielastic strip fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 1,988,140 to Lowe describes a garment for more durable applications having a partially elasticized waist band. U.S. Pat. No. 2,408,723 to Arpin et al describes a similar garment. U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,753 to Sanford describes an incontinent device having multiple sets of elastic straps for maintaining the garment in position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,334 to Johnson describes in one embodiment a disposable diaper or incontinent pad with a suspension system including strips of elastic positioned so as to surround the thigh areas of the wearer.
Garments of the type described in the prior art as well as those which have been available commercially suffer from one or more of the following deficiencies: they are uncomfortable in that the elasticized portions tend to bind or otherwise irritate the wearer; they are size dependent and unable to accommodate a variety of wearers; they tend to sag in use resulting in significant leakage; they are expensive to manufacture; and they are not readily refastenable allowing a parent or person in charge of an incontinent, or the incontinent, to open and examine for wetness or to lower the garment when using bathroom facilities and refasten the garment.